Celebrating Streatham

The desire of the people of Streatham to have a Tube line has led to yet another campaign. First Labour’s prospective parliamentary candidate, Chuka Umunna, started a campaign in response to news that TfL were considering a plan to extend the Bakerloo line into Streatham. This was soon followed by resident, Kent Martin’s campaign to raise support for a Tube. Kent was backed by Chuka as well as Streatham’s current MP Keith Hill, Councillor Mark Bennett and also the Liberal Democrat’s prospective parliamentary candidate for Streatham, Chris Nicholson. Now, according to this article, in a further twist, Chris Nicholson has started his own campaign, with the slight difference that he wants to extend the Northern Line, on a new branch, south from Kennington to Streatham, via Brixton. Is this latest idea any more feasible than the other? Many would suggest it’s far less likely as the Northern Line is already running to maximum capacity and is a notoriously problematic and unpopular line. Indeed, many observers see these campaigns as political crowd pleasers with no basis in reality, being run by candidates with their eyes firmly on the upcoming election. It’s almost laughable that Labour and the Lib Dem’s have chosen the same subject to campaign on but divided themselves by picking different lines. Will the Tories join in next by arguing for a Victoria line extension from Brixton? It is blue after all.

These campaigns are the just the latest in a long list that goes back decades. None have succeeded in the past so why might they now? Well there is the fact that capacity on tubes and trains in London will have to increase to cope with demand in the future and new lines will without doubt be one of the solutions to this problem. It’s also been said that the difficulties with tunnelling through the soil prevalent in South London has been overcome by modern tunnelling methods and machinery. Therefore it is right that people are at least arguing the case for Streatham. However, the current finances of the Government, Lambeth Council and TFL surely mean that all of this will remain pure fantasy for a long long time to come. What do you think? Please let us know.

Those of you that follow Streatham Pulse on Twitter may be aware of the campaign that was started recently to get Streatham born, 1950’s comedian, Tommy Trinder to the top of Channel Four’s list of The Greatest Stand Up Comics Of All Time. The Campaign was started by Ross Noble, who is also one of the nominees. Bemused by the shortlist, which generally favours comedians from the last few years, Ross thought it might be a bit of a giggle to boost the largely forgotten comedian’s chances of topping the chart. He started his campaign on Twitter and it quickly received the backing of comedians, Alan Davies, Jason Manford, Rob Rouse and co-creator of Viz, Simon Donald, who started this Facebook Group to help the cause. Voting has now closed and we will have to wait until later in the year for Channel Four to reveal the winner, so in the mean time keep your fingers crossed for Tommy and have a look at some of his work on You Tube. Here is a video featuring Tommy presenting Sunday Night At The London Palladium in the ’50’s. After the opening dance number Tommy appears about 2.20 in where he entertains the audience with some jokes before introducing Pinky & Perky.

The blue plaque on Wellfield Road in Streatham, commemorating Tommy’s birth.

It’s hard to believe that it’s only mid January but as the snow finally melts around most of Streatham, it’s about time I included some pictures to show how stunning the place looked under a blanket of white. I stumbled across these amazing pictures of Streatham Common on John Quintero’s Flickr page. They’re the best examples I’ve found so far but if you’ve got any great pictures of your own please upload them to the Streatham Network page.

Stunning, although I think I speak for many when I saw “Enough of the snow now. Please”.

Over Christmas I saw a close friend who reminded me of the last time we bumped in to each other. It was in the Clarence in Balham several months earlier where she introduced me to fella called Christian, who lived in Streatham Hill. It turns out that Christian is one of the core members of the Streatham based band ‘The Leisure Society’. I have to admit I hadn’t heard of them before but on listening to their debut album, ‘The Sleeper’, I was pleasantly surprised to hear such quality music. As soon as I looked in to the band more I was amazed at what I found. Initially it was their background that fascinated me. Nick Hemming, the other founder member, started his musical life in a band with film maker, Shane Meadows and actor Paddy Considine. I’ve long been a fan of these two and was impressed when I discovered that Nick composed the music for Shane’s films ‘A Room For Romeo Brass’ and ‘Dead Man’s Shoes’. If you haven’t seen either of these films I’d highly recommend them. They not only cemented Shane as one of Britain’s best working directors but also launched Paddy’s career, which has led to his appearances in major films, like ‘The Bourne Ultimatum’ and ‘Hot Fuzz’. However as I found out more about them I was even more impressed. Not only have they had their music championed by several DJ’s, including Mark Radcliffe & Stuart Maconie, Dermot O’Leary and Guy Garvey of Elbow, (who named their song ‘The Last Of The Melting Snow’ as his favorite song of the year), but they have a string of prestigious awards and nominations to their name, which include the ‘iTunes UK’s Album Of The Year’ in the singer songwriter category and an Ivor Novello nomination for best song musically and lyrically. This last award was eventually won by, none other than, their number one fan Guy Garvey and his band Elbow.

This should give you enough reasons to check out the album, ‘Sleeper’, for yourselves and to look forward to their second album which is currently being recorded in the bands Ego Drain studios in Streatham Hill. Although presumably recording is mostly on hold while they complete their European Tour. You can start by watching the great video below for their song ‘Save It For Someone Who Cares’.

If anyone didn’t already know what the great mural on Leigham Court Road was, they surely must now. The classic childrens story by Maurice Sendak has been made in to a film by the already legendary director Spike Jonze, and it’s showing at the Streatham Odeon right now. Spike is the man behind Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, and some of the most well known music videos of the last fifteen years including Praise You and Weapon of Choice by Fatboy Slim. With that kind of track record Where The Wild Things are is sure to be worth a watch.

Lambeth is celebrating the switching on of its town centre Christmas lights with a parade, which starts outside the Odeon cinema in Streatham this afternoon at 4pm and continues on to events in West Norwood, Herne Hill, Brixton, Clapham and Oval. Apparently Father Christmas will be touring the borough in an open top bus to flick the switch. According to the Lambeth Council website he will be joined by “a band of helpers including hip hop pixies, musicians and carol singers. There’ll be face-painting fun, cookie-decorating, roasted chestnuts and snow-making fun for all the family”. What is a hip hop pixie? I can’t wait to find out.

The event is organised by the Streatham Festival.

Whilst it doesn’t have the celebrity endorsement of 2006 when June Whitfield, who was born in Streatham, was drafted in to flick the switch, it does, however, sound a lot better than 2005, when musician Garri Holness, was invited to do the honours after he lost part of his left leg in the King’s Cross Tube bombing. He was hoping to publicise his campaign for justice for bomb victims and to promote his single “Something I Wanna Tell You” but the invitation was withdrawn after it emerged that he had been among seven men convicted of raping two 16-year-old girls on the Stockwell Park Estate in Brixton in 1985. Oh dear, that’s not what Streatham needs.

Itinerary

• 4 to 5pm Streatham – outside the Odeon
• 4.30 to 5.30pm West Norwood – St Luke’s Church – West Norwood
• 5 to 6pm Herne Hill – Brockwell Lido car park
• 5.30 to 6.30pm Brixton – Tunstall Road next to Morleys
• 6 to 7pm Clapham – The Pavement
• 6.30 to 7.30pm – St Mark’s Church, Oval

3. The last proposal   2. The second proposal   3. The first proposal

Property Developer Glentoran has had it’s plans for the redevelopment of the Megabowl/Ceasars site rejected for the third time. The controversial proposal has divided many in Streatham, with a large number of local businesses in favour but most resident associations against it. The Streatham Guardian reported yesterday that planners had recommended the proposals get the go-ahead but, according to Councillor Steve Reed, Lambeth Council’s planning committee rejected the plans at a meeting yesterday evening.

What does this mean for Streatham? Lost oppurtunity for desperately needed investment and development? Or is it a good decision to help ensure Streatham ends up with a development which doesn’t have such a big impact on the local area?

Whatever happens with this site let’s hope it doesn’t become another Streatham Hub, with the buildings laying derelict for many more years to come.

… probably Ronald Hackston.

Much of the content on Streatham Pulse is made up of Streatham related stuff that I’ve found on the internet. It’s a place to put all of the stuff that I find which I think deserves to be seen by more people and hopefully appreciated by some of those who think that Streatham has nothing to offer of interest or beauty. As I search I keep coming across Ronald Hackston’s pictures. Some of his photos are included in the Streatham Pulse gallery, which was meant to be a place to show off Streatham at its best. However many of Ronald’s photos depict the less attractive side to Streatham; The decaying buildings, graffiti, strange shop windows, the rubbish dumped on streets, the unusual street signs; Yet he manages to find the interest and beauty in them. This blog would be a worse place without Ronald’s photos so this is a nod to him. Keep up the good work.

Here are some of my favorite Streatham photos from his Flickr photostream. Clicking on the photo will take you to the Flickr page. Please explore his stuff. He does, of course, also take photos of other places and things.

Click here to see more

Streatham Fireman, Stephen-Remell Coleman, also known as rapper ‘Controversy’, is using his talents to help recruit more young people in to the London Fire Brigade. You can watch the video for his new song, London Firefighter, below. It’s pure genius.

If you liked that check out his ‘Got Mine, Got Yours’ video he made a couple of years ago to encourage people to fit fire alarms in their homes. He also made an Asian Streets Mix.

Oz Bayldon, who runs The White Lion on Streatham High Road set the world record for the highest live gig in 2005 when he and his band played to a hundred or so mountaineers 5,545 metres up Mount Everest. He’s since set the world record for the longest gig (44 hours non stop), however both of these have since been broken. Clearly not one to accept defeat he has decided to make a second attempt at the highest ever gig next year when he will climb 6475 metres up Mount Mera in Nepal. watch the video below to learn more about it.

All of these record attempts are in aid of his charity Music 4 Children and The White Lion is also run in aid of the charity. If you’d like to get involved in the latest record attempt or just find out more about it, get yourselves down to The White Lion tomorrow, Saturday 28th Nov. Support Oz, whilst also supporting a thriving music scene in Streatham.

You can follow The White Lion on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook or visit there website here.